The flight was fine. Uneventful, inasmuch as I do not like the process of flying. Love getting to my destination quickly, but it messes with my head.
We reserved a rental vehicle with Budget a few weeks ago. At DFW airport, one has to exit the terminal, walk to a location where a Rental Car Shuttle will pick you up and transport you to the Rental Car station some 7-8 minutes away. We waited on the Shuttle for about 20 minutes, only to see two shuttles pass us by because they were full up, and all the while listening to an emergency siren mind-numbingly beeping away at our location -- apparently for no reason -- the entire time we stood there.
Arrived at the Rental Car Station and walked to the big, giant Budget counter, only to find it completely closed on a Saturday at about 1:00. Completely shut down. Sign out front read, "If it is after hours, please visit the Avis counter." So even though it was clearly not after hours, we went to the Avis counter, only to find the line snaking almost out the door. So we waited in line... for over an hour. Avis has a giant counter -- bigger than the Budget counter -- with about 10 stations. There were only 2 agents manning the counter. At one of the nation's largest airports... on a Saturday afternoon.
Got our car (pick up truck) got the lay of the land, checked into our AirBNB. On to Sunday.
So, aside from the gruesome ankle injury, things went pretty well today!
The football gods, in their infinite wisdom, decided I deserved to see my team win in person, at least once, but couldn't leave well enough alone, and so exacted the price of taking down our franchise quarterback in front of my very eyes. And not just a pulled hammy. A full on, soul-chilling, stomach-turning, dislodged, break-thru-the-skin ankle injury. If Dak Prescott never plays another down, I'll get to explain to my grandkids someday that yeah, I was there in 2020 to see my Cowboys turn their season around while watching a young man's career go down the drain.
Maybe that's a little melodramatic. By all appearances, and thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, there's no reason to believe Dak won't recover and come back better than before, even as this season might go down in flames.
So while I was thrilled to see the 'Boys pull one out, there wasn't a lot of celebrating as everyone left. We were all happy and sad at the same time, which, as I think about it, is exactly why I vowed to never see another Cowboys game in person until I could do it in Dallas. We were all in it together, which is exactly where I wanted to be in case they lost again. Today, we both won and lost.
Outside of that, it was a durn near perfect day. My thoughts on the experience:
1) AT&T Stadium is freaking awesome! It is as advertised, and the pictures and video you see on TV does not do it justice. Years ago, when Lucas Oil Stadium was being built in downtown Indy, next door to the original Hoosier Dome, a casual drive into downtown clearly showed how much the new stadium dwarfed the original dome, which at one time seemed big itself.
The football gods, in their infinite wisdom, decided I deserved to see my team win in person, at least once, but couldn't leave well enough alone, and so exacted the price of taking down our franchise quarterback in front of my very eyes. And not just a pulled hammy. A full on, soul-chilling, stomach-turning, dislodged, break-thru-the-skin ankle injury. If Dak Prescott never plays another down, I'll get to explain to my grandkids someday that yeah, I was there in 2020 to see my Cowboys turn their season around while watching a young man's career go down the drain.
Maybe that's a little melodramatic. By all appearances, and thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, there's no reason to believe Dak won't recover and come back better than before, even as this season might go down in flames.
So while I was thrilled to see the 'Boys pull one out, there wasn't a lot of celebrating as everyone left. We were all happy and sad at the same time, which, as I think about it, is exactly why I vowed to never see another Cowboys game in person until I could do it in Dallas. We were all in it together, which is exactly where I wanted to be in case they lost again. Today, we both won and lost.
Outside of that, it was a durn near perfect day. My thoughts on the experience:
1) AT&T Stadium is freaking awesome! It is as advertised, and the pictures and video you see on TV does not do it justice. Years ago, when Lucas Oil Stadium was being built in downtown Indy, next door to the original Hoosier Dome, a casual drive into downtown clearly showed how much the new stadium dwarfed the original dome, which at one time seemed big itself.
I'm fairly certain Lucas Oil would fit inside AT&T Stadium. It is massive, and spectacular. Leaps and bounds the coolest sports venue I've ever been in. Given it is already 10 years old, perhaps newer stadiums in Atlanta and Vegas might surpass it's majesty. I don't know, but I have to believe it'd be tough.
2) Even with limited fans, one can almost hear the money machine churning out bills for Jerry Jones at nearly every step.
3) There is a Wal-Mart Supercenter literally right next door to the stadium. Literally. Like, right across the street. Go figure. Lady behind the ticket counter told me they call it "Jerry's Wal-Mart" even though, according to her, it has been there for, like, 25 years. Turns out, Jerry poached Wal-Mart turf to build his palace.
4) In said Wal-Mart, they have a Cowboys merchandise section that rivals the Cowboys' own Pro Shop. It's literally bigger than the Cincinnati Reds Pro Shop. In a Wal-Mart. I'm going back on Tuesday to buy some things.
5) Speaking of Tuesday, the wife and I are going back to AT&T to do a Stadium Tour. Can't wait. Going to Wal-Mart after that.
6) They confiscated my knife at security. I carry a tiny little Swiss Army knife everywhere I go, primarily for the toothpick. I usually remember to leave it behind at such events, or stuff it in the checked bag when I'm flying somewhere. In addition to having to discard it once at an airport, and the few other times I've literally forgotten I had it and I made it through security anyway, this is perhaps the 5th time or so I've had one taken from me at a sporting event. One time, my magician son was able to "palm" it and get it through security for me, but otherwise, they usually find it and take it from me. Luckily, they're only about $10, so I'm buying a new one at Wal-Mart on Tuesday.
7) The new Texas Rangers stadium, Globe Life Field, is also virtually next door. Though from certain angles it looks like a big barn, it is also massive. Clearly the biggest MLB stadium I've seen. (Check out the attached pics.) I wanted to take a tour, but we can't because they are hosting this year's National League Championship Series beginning tomorrow night. It is also next door to the still-standing, previous home of the Texas Rangers, Arlington Ballpark, which is itself only about 25 years old, and so looks refreshingly new. I don't know what the long term plans for it are, but I'm told they're hosting high school football games there presently.
8) The sound was impressively loud and clear, unlike the sound in most big stadiums.
9) COVID limited the fans to 20,000. As much as I have disdained everything about COVID, including the nonsense shutdowns and limitations, I have to admit it was nice being there on a day that wasn't inundated with the normal 90k fans or so that can fit into that stadium. I've been at the Reds Great American Ballpark when it has been at capacity around 45,000, and I've been to Lucas Oil a few times at capacity around 70,000. And I've also been to the Indy 500 with a sellout crowd of about 400,000. Enormous crowds where you feel like everyone is sitting on top of each other. Today, the wife and I had virtually our entire row to ourselves, as tickets were sold so that every little group would be spread out from one another. Aside from wearing that ridiculous, cumbersome mask, it was nice not being clobbered by an additional 70,000 fans today for my first time there. Was able to move about pretty freely and check things out. Didn't sit for 6 hours after trying to get away either. And it was impossible NOT to social distance with only 20,000 fans in a 90k box.
10) After the game, there was a huge, gorgeous sunset visible out of the windows of the place that was breathtaking. The pictures I took do not do it justice.
11) I cried as I watched Dak cry as he was being carted off the field.
12) Every single staff person we encountered was stunningly nice and polite and helpful, from the Pro Shop to the concession stands. In fact, the fans themselves were cordial in a way I'm not used to hometown fans being, even in Indy. Only in the parking lot on the way out did we encounter some Dallas and New York fans jawing back and forth at each other using some unfortunate language. It was refreshing.
13) I lamented to my wife on the way in that it would be nice to have my boys with me today. They would have enjoyed the experience. And while the wife and I really dig hanging out, just the two of us, we sometimes miss the memories we made at ballgames with our kids. A Cowboys game together would be nice. We'll have to make that happen.
14) After the clock ticked 0:00, I just sat there for awhile, taking it all in. I don't know when I'll get to come back. Didn't want the moment to end.
Tomorrow, it's another adventure. Stay tuned.
